SoutheastHEALTH Auxiliary Helps Fund Major Renovation of NICU

SoutheastHEALTH Auxiliary has pledged $50,000 to help fund a major renovation of the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Southeast Hospital, including installation of the NICVIEW webcam system.

The 8-bed renovation will consist of single family stations, creating private areas for families to bond with their babies. The newborn nursery and family waiting area also are being renovated as part of this project, which is scheduled to be completed in late June.

The webcam system will provide a secure video link for parents, siblings and grandparents to keep a close eye on their infants in the NICU.

"We think of that webcam system as an emotional lifeline and a great source of comfort for NICU families," says Auxiliary President Nancy Bray.

As part of its pledge, the Auxiliary has already donated $30,000 to the project through the group's fundraising efforts and contributions of individual Auxiliary members. In November, a new Auxiliary fundraising event, The Festival of Trees, will help complete funding for the project.

The SoutheastHEALTH Foundation has recognized the Auxiliary's commitment to the NICU project with a plaque that has been installed on the wall next to the late Dr. David Crowe's large, scenic photo of Big Springs in the Close to Home Gallery at Southeast Hospital.

Neonatologist Paul A. Caruso, MD, says, "Southeast Hospital is investing in a new Neonatal Intensive Care Unit because we understand the importance of family-centered care. All of us working in the NICU are dedicated to bringing the family into the intensive care unit as safely as possible to the benefit of both the parents and the newborns for whose care we are entrusted."

Dr. Caruso, medical director of Neonatology at Southeast, says the webcam system will allow parents, family and friends who are unable to be at the Hospital to view the infant in real-time video. "Our hope is that the NICVIEW technology will help bring joy and comfort to the families of our patients," he notes.

The NICU renovation, currently underway, will allow the Hospital to care for the frail newborn in an environment of privacy that is noise controlled and provides adequate space with the appropriate support systems, Dr. Caruso says.